vol. XX no. 2
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Man in
Motion: Body Reenergizes Board
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Tom Body |
When Tom Body became chairman of the Board of Advisors he declared
early on that he was going to make changes. Within the first few
months, he organized several new committees, increased attendance,
added members, and restructured the format of the meetings. And that
was just the beginning.
A serial entrepreneur who has started countless companies over the past
25 years, Body has boundless energy.
Currently serving as the chairman of his latest company, WIREFREE
Partners, LLC, Body also co-founded American Mobilephone Paging,
Maxicom, Inc., CellularOne, Metrex Corporation, and AirGate PCS, Inc.,
among
others. In addition, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors
for both Strata 8 Networks and the Atlanta Enterprise Center. Body
looks at the College’s Board of Advisors as he does his corporate
boards. “The College is a business and we need to help the College make
good business decisions.”
But the board of a college also has a broader mission. “It needs to be
the link between the college and the business community, support the
dean and faculty, help find resources to support programs, and assist
in raising the brand of the college.”
Body has created a variety of initiatives, including one on branding
and some that have the potential of influencing curriculum. While it is
not the role of the board to create new courses, the board can make the
dean and others aware of new trends in business. Two of the areas of
most interest to Body are disaster recovery, a pressing need in the
business community, and corporate governance on
an international level.
Body also did something for the college that was most exceptional for a
board chair. At the request of Dean Fenwick Huss, he accepted a
speaking engagement in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Body was very
well received in Dubai. He became known as “Mr. Thomas” and was even
given the opportunity to don native garb during his visit. As an
ambassador for the college, he served to enhance an already existing
relationship between Robinson and UAE University.
While Body’s two-year term of duty officially ended in August, he
agreed to stay on until January, 2009, to allow his successor, Pete
Petit, time to transition into a new business. In the meantime he says
he still has “a laundry list of things he wants to do.” And with his
record of success, there is little doubt that this man in motion will
get them done.
Continued on next page
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